Pulldown cabinet



L. A. STEBB IN S PULL DOWN CABINET Dec. 25, 1951 Filed June 18, 1946 INVEN TOR.

Patented Dec. 25, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PULLDOWN CABINET Leo A. Stebbins, Denver, Colo.

Application June 18, 1946, Serial No. 677,576

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a cabinet lowering device, and while more particularly applicable to what are known as kitchen cabinets, will be found useful in any type of cabinet in which the upper cases of the cabinet are difficult of access.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a cabinet in which the upper cases or portions thereof can be quickly and easily lowered to an accessible position, regardless of the height of the cabinet.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efiiciency. These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1' is a front view of a cabinet in which the invention is embodied;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section therethrough, taken on the line 2--2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side view thereof;

Fig. 4 is a detail horizontal section, taken on the line 4-4, Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a similar horizontal section, taken on the line 5--5, Fig. 2, showing the upper case of the cabinet in the extended position.

In some installations the improved cabinet will be placed upon a lower counter III and may be of any desired height or width. As illustrated, the counter I 0 supports a cabinet II provided with suitable shelves I2 dividing it into vertical sections. Each of the sections may be closed by means of suitable doors I3.

A shelf case I4 is mounted on the upper section. The case I4 may contain shelves, such as indicated at I5, and may, if desired, be provided with a suitable door I3.

An upper gear shaft I6 extends across the top of the front of the upper section, and a similar lower gear shaft I'I extends across the bottom thereof. The shaft I6 carries a pair of spur gears I8, there being one gear at each side of the cabinet II. The shaft I I carries a pair of similar, similarly placed gears 30. A crank shaft 25 also extends across the cabinet I I below the gear shaft I1 and carries a pair of similar, similarly spaced spur gears 3 I.

The crank shaft 25 may be rotated in any de- 24. The rotation is transmitted to the shafts IT and I6 by means of suitable drive chains 26 and sprockets 29 or in any other desired manner. The upper gear shaft I6 is caused to rotate in a direction opposite to the shafts IT and 25 by means of a pair of reversing gears 21 interposed between the uppermost sprocket 29 and the shaft I6.

A toothed rack I9 is secured at each side of the bottom of the case I4 in alignment with the lower gears 30.

A pair of toothed racks 2|] join the bottom racks I9 and extend vertically up the back of the case I4 and two similar toothed racks 2| join the racks 20 and extend forward therefrom in alignment with the upper gears I8. It can be seen that, if the shafts I6 and I1 are rotated in opposite directions, the gears I8 and 30 will act upon the racks 2I and I9 respectively to move the case I 4 forwardly or outwardly.

The outward movement is limited by a pair of guide flanges 22, there being one flange positioned vertically along the rear edge of each end of the case I 4. These flanges contact front molding bars 23 extending vertically at each side of the cabinet II for its entire height. Rear molding bars 28 extend downwardly from the gears 30 at each side of the cabinet. The bars 28 are spaced inwardly from the bars 23 to form a vertical guide groove therebetween to receive the guide flanges 22, as shown in Fig. 5.

Should it be desired to lower the case I I within convenient reach, the operator rotates the crank 24 in a counter-clockwise direction, This causes the gears I8 and 30 to engage the racks 2| and I 9, respectively, so as to move the case I I horizontally forward. This movement continues until the guide flanges 22 strike the front molding bars 23.

The entire weight of the cas I4 is now supportedby the gears 30 on the shaft I! which are in mesh with the vertical racks 26. rotation causes the racks 20 to travel downwardly over the gears 30 carrying the case I4 to the broken line position of Fig. 2. The racks 20 will now engage the gears 3| of the shaft 25 so that these latter gears may continue to lower the case entirely to the counter I0 within easy reach.

Reverse or clock-wise rotation of the crank 24 causes the gears 3I to act against the racks 20 to lift the case I4 vertically, the guide flanges 22 traveling in the slots between the front molding bars 23 and the rear molding bars 28. The racks 20 enmesh with the gears 30 before they leave Continued nism, that is, the chains 28, sprockets 29 and" gears 2'! are shown exposed. In an actual cabinet, these would preferably be covered. Such a covering is within the skill of any cabinet maker. While only one vertical tier of cabinet sections has been illustrated, it is of course understood that similar, additional tiers can be placed'side by side to make a cabinet of any desired width. In the latter event, the shafts it, if and 25 could continue for the full width of the cabinet.

The shafts have been shown rotated from a' hand crank for .the purpose of simplicity; It is of coursewithin the skill of the routine designer to connect an electric motor to replace the hand crank if it appears advisable.

While a specific form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is desired to be understood that the same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

' Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A cabinet comprising: a cabinet having'an open front and being divided into vertically arranged sections; a box-like case removably' positioned in the uppermost section: an upper gear shaft extending horizontally across the top of the front of said uppermost section; a'lower gear shaft similarly extending across the bottomfof' the front of said uppermost section; a pair of spaced-apart gears secured on each gear. shaft; a pair of similarly spaced toothedrackszextendsaid racks to move said case horizontally; a vertically positioned guide flange at'the rearaedge of each side of said case; a vertically positioned molding strip at each side of saiduppermnstisece tion in the paths of said guide flanges to stop the: asvertical guide forward motion of said case; 7 channel extending downwardly from eachzside of said uppermost section along the front of said cabinet to guide said guide flanges therealong; and a pair of rear toothed racks on the back of said case positioned vertically to enmesh with the gears on the lower gear shaft as said guide flanges travel in said guide channels.

2. A cabinet comprising: a cabinet having an open front and being divided into vertically arranged sections; a box-like case removably positioned in the uppermost section; an upper gear shaft extending horizontally across the top of the front of said uppermost section; a lower gear shaft similarly extending across the bottom of the front of said uppermost section; a pair of spaced-apart gears secured on each gear shaft; a pair of similarly spaced toothed racks extending inparallel relation r-earwardly across the top and bottom of said case in mesh with said gears;

means for rotating the two gear shafts in opposite directions to cause said gears to act upon said racks to move said case horizontally; avertically positioned guide fiange at the rearedge of each side of sai'd'ca'se; a vertically positioned molding strip at each side of said uppermost section in the paths of said guide fiangesto stop the forward motion of said case; a vertical guide pair of rear toothed racks on the back'of said case positioned vertically to enmesh with the gears on the lower gear shaft as said guide flanges travel in said guide channels; a power shaft extending between said guide channels below said lower gear shaft; gears on said power shaft for mshing with said rear toothed racks when the latter move below said lower gear shaft; and means for rotating all of said shafts in unison.

LEO A. STEBBTNS;

REFERENKJES CITED The followin references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Num er Name Date 657,809 Beebe Sept. 11', 1900 670,929 Feder -4 Apru2, 1901 714,206 Lippincott i Nov. 25, 1902 2,214,291 Wyckoff Sept. 10, 1940 2,341.434 Forbes Feb. 8, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS. V N umber Country Date 81 Great Britain 1878 

